Taliban blow up girls’ school in Mohmand

The Express Tribune

Militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for blowing up a girls’ school in Safi sub-district of Mohmand Agency on Thursday night, officials said. The two-room primary school was located in Malak Zargar Adeenkheel village. A senior official of the agency’s political administration confirmed the incident, saying the veranda and one of the school’s rooms were completely destroyed. The other room was partially damaged. According to a resident, the school was also housing furniture from a boys’ middle school that was bombed earlier. The attack reduced that furniture to rubble as well. Safi is the most affected sub-district of the agency where 46 institutions have been destroyed in bombings. Other infrastructure is in a shambles and few job opportunities are available in the area. Assistant Education Officer Dast Ali told The Express Tribune that about 220 tents are required to continue to temporarily run destroyed schools in the agency. “We have provided tents to two primary schools in Khwaizai and Baizai a few weeks ago,” he said. Last week, Political Agent Adil Sadique has said that the administration is trying to seek assistance from foreign donors for reconstruction. A recent report of the Fata education department stated that around 89 schools have been destroyed in the agency. The figure reached 91 following last week’s bombing of a newly-constructed primary school in Khwaizai and the one destroyed last night. The report said that Rs436.5 million is required for the reconstruction of schools destroyed in the agency, of which Rs265.5 million is needed only for schools in Safi.